


Something Entirely New

by Vesuvian_American



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Asra is shimmying his way into a relationship with you and Muriel, Asra the flirt, Awkward Romance, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Hugging, I can't stop it now, Jealousy, Kissing, Not Beta Read, Slow Burn, asra is mischievous as always, if theres typos ignore that lol, mc is hecka shy, muriel is stubborn as always, sorry no editing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:48:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25430398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vesuvian_American/pseuds/Vesuvian_American
Summary: Asra drags Muriel along on a trip to the Painted Daisy Festival in Nopal, without mentioning that the apprentice is tagging along. How will this vacation treat our beloved Magician, our stubborn Hermit, and you, the shy yet ever present apprentice?
Relationships: Apprentice & Muriel (The Arcana), Apprentice/Asra (The Arcana), Apprentice/Asra/Muriel (The Arcana), Apprentice/Muriel (The Arcana), Asra/Muriel (The Arcana), Muriel (The Arcana)/Reader, Muriel (The Arcana)/You
Comments: 47
Kudos: 180





	1. The First Blooms in Spring

Spring came unusually swift this year in Vesuvia. The robins were chirping, squirrels prancing, frogs hopping, chickens clucking. Everything seemed to be at peace as Muriel stepped out of his quaint hut deep in the forest and into the early morning rays of the sun. Soft and warm, he relaxed and took in the smell of the forest. He wouldn’t admit it, but Spring was this man’s favorite time of year. The cold of winter finally melted away and the forest seemed to be at its happiest. Animals woke from their long slumber and his little world was reset. That peace would be short lived however, as his childhood fluffy haired friend came lazily sauntering into view. 

Asra stifled a yawn as he spoke, “Hey Muriel.” Already there was mischief gleaming in his violet eyes. 

“Asra” he said, curious of what the magician had hidden up his sleeves. “You’re up early.” The two friends hugged and Muriel invited him back inside. 

“I won’t be long, have to head back into town to pick some things up for our trip.” Asra announced as he plopped down onto one of Muriel’s rickety chairs. 

“Our?” Muriel asked suspiciously raising a bushy brow. He slid his friend a glass of water and sat across from him beginning to whittle. 

“Remember years ago, when I went to the Painted Daisy Festival and you wouldn’t come with me?” Asra eyed his friend playfully, waiting for the realization to dawn on him. 

“No, I’m not going.” Muriel huffed, face twisting in annoyance. 

“But you promised you would next time and now it’s next time!” Asra pressed on, “So we leave in a week, pack some clothes and I’ll do the rest.” With that Asra was back out of the door and headed toward the city. 

Curse his good memory, Muriel thought. He always assumed the past would catch up to him someday but he never imagined it would be about an old half promise made to a friend. He let out an exasperated sigh and threw his head back in defeat. 

“How did I get into this mess.” 

The days turned to nights and back into new days. He made sure the chickens were fed, their coop was nice and stable, and the wards around his home were charged. He wanted to guarantee he’d come home to an empty quiet hut when all this was over. At least he and Asra would have quality time together without them around. 

Muriel couldn’t remember a time he and Asra could be alone like the old times before the apprentice came into the picture and ruined his only sense of stability. Soon enough he felt lonely again, forgotten by the only person he came to trust. 

Asra was his best friend, the only person he had in all of the world. So as uncomfortable as a Painted Daisy Festival sounded to Muriel, he looked forward to the time spent with Asra away from Vesuvia. 

Asra told him he planned to stop by the day before their trip to talk about all the things they’d do in Nepal and what travel would be like. Asra arrived at the hut in the early afternoon and gave a few swift knocks to his heavy door. Muriel invited his friend inside and they talked and caught up for hours until it was time for Asra to get home and rest before the trip. 

“I hope you’re excited Muriel.” Asra cooed, and of course Muriel wasn’t prepared to admit that. He had to change the subject. 

“What will you apprentice be doing?” He heard himself ask, not quite sure why he was curious about that but it seemed to shift the conversation how he liked. Asra didn’t answer right away though, he just gave a quick smile and continued toward the door of the hut to leave. 

“Don’t worry about it, see you tomorrow bright and early!” With a wink and a lazy wave Asra headed out into the evening light heading back towards the city. 

Odd, Muriel thought. Usually he could talk about the apprentice for hours. However, it was refreshing that Asra kept it short for once. He thought nothing more of it and trundled off to sit in front of the fire until he felt his eyelids get heavy with drowsiness. Inanna followed and did the same, curling up next to Muriel. 

That next morning, he packed all he needed, tended to the chickens and made breakfast for himself and his magician. Not much longer was it that Asra arrived at the hut, quickly inviting himself inside and greeting Muriel and Inanna. As much as Muriel expected Asra’s arrival he didn’t quite fancy letting himself in, but he decided to ignore that for now. 

“You ready Muriel?” He spoke in a melodic voice, his violet eyes expressing just how happy he was. Muriel’s lips couldn’t help but twitch up into a barely there smile in response to his friend’s eagerness. He nodded toward the table, “made breakfast.” 

“Well, that wasn’t initially in the schedule but I’m sure you and Y/N can eat fast!” Asra responded matter-of-factly as if he didn’t just suggest the apprentice was here. Muriel cleared his throat roughly. 

“I’m sorry?” He said, eyeing his friend up and down as he watched him slink out the door. As quickly as he left, Asra was back ushering the apprentice through the door. With that, Muriel’s sense of security and peace was shattered. He didn’t sign up for this, let alone would he invite the apprentice into his home and offer them food. He stood from the table and made no attempt to mask the irritation that surely fell over his features. The apprentice avoided his searing gaze and shrunk under the scrutiny. 

“What is... this?” Muriel asked curtly waving his hang vaguely in the apprentice’s direction. His eyebrows knitted together and his lips twisted into a look of disgust. The apprentices head hung low, and they whispered to Asra. 

“I told you this was a bad idea.” they squeaked. Asra just shrugged it off and gave a light laugh. “C’mon Muriel, you remember Y/N! They’re tagging along, did I neglect to tell you!” He purred. His voice sounded lighthearted yet his eyes told Muriel that he needed to settle down with the attitude. Muriel secretly envied how Asra could communicate to him in such a way, despite being a loner, it was hard for Muriel to mask his true feelings. And right now, he was feeling irritated. He didn’t want to travel with the apprentice, had he known they were coming he wouldn’t have agreed to this trip. At least not so easily. 

Muriel sat back down with a huff and watched warily as Asra pulled a chair out for his other friend. That morning was quiet, even if Asra did chat away to the two of them about the journey ahead, though neither the apprentice or Muriel were much conversation that morning Asra didn’t seem to mind. Muriel ate his eggs in silence as his mind raced with his complaints about this situation he’d gotten into. Asra and Y/N shared their plate of eggs, and when they finished Muriel took the plates and tidied up his home before closing the door and silently saying goodbye to his hideaway.


	2. A Path of Golden Wheat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asra, you, and Muriel have a bit of a rocky start to your group vacation, hopefully the three of you will be closer at the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask where Inanna is, she's vibing back in Vesuvia. But this chapter was fun to write, it sos cute to me! I hope you enjoy!

Muriel had the beginnings of a headache throbbing at the back of his head, and all because of how annoyed he was at his friend. The three of them trundled through the woods early that morning, Asra and the apprentice walked ahead of him. Muriel hated the sight, his lifelong friend far off, whispering in someone's ear and making them laugh. All the while, he was to the back, alone and feeling forgotten. Why did Muriel imagine this trip would go well, why did he let himself get excited? Of course, Asra wouldn’t leave Y/N behind, he couldn’t be satisfied with just him anymore, he needed the apprentice too. 

Every giggle that melted from your lips made him grimace, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to look away. Asra looked happy, you were starting to loosen up, and Muriel, well, Muriel was still quite upset. He felt as if he were some dark cloud of bad omens following behind these two people. He wanted to join you, or rather, he wanted to switch places with Y/N. 

He huffed and looked up towards the canopy above, the views of the sun leaking through the leaves calmed his spirit a bit. That is until the leaves and branches above him thinned out until his gaze met a blanket of clouds. The sun was quickly swallowed up but the clouds didn’t threaten rain, at least not yet. He was thankful for them since, being out of the forest now the sun would be too much to handle, and he refused to take his cloak off. 

**(Your POV)**

You wanted Muriel to like you, you wanted to go to him and be able to have conversation like he and Asra would. You too, wanted to visit the giant out in the woods and spend time together. It was lonely when Asra was away, you had no one else. No one to talk to about Asra, no one who could tell you things about him that he himself wouldn’t speak of. Not his secrets, but rather, what he was like when he was young, his favorite color though you could guess that, where he goes when he’s gone for weeks at a time. 

You were jealous of Muriel. Asra didn’t hide things from him the way he did from you. He didn’t have to prove that he could handle it, Muriel wasn’t pitied by Asra. Asra seemed more comfortable around him and like he didn’t need to walk on eggshells. 

These thoughts plagued your mind on the walk to Muriel’s hut the morning of your trip. You weren’t unfamiliar with these woods but you never travelled this way, whenever you explored the woods you made sure to go the opposite direction of Muriel’s home. No, you never knew exactly how to get their but you sensed the mix of his and Asra’s magic more densely pooled that way. 

As expected, the news did not come well to Muriel. He wasn’t too happy to see you, it caused a pain to twist deep in your gut but you were prepared for the rejection. You decided to give him a little peace and quiet as not to overload him any more with your presence. Asra could do the talking. 

The trek through the woods started off quiet, listening to Asra hum a song next to kept you relaxed enough. Even if you could feel Muriel’s gaze threatening to burn holes in the back of your head, you did well not to turn around and take a peek at the brute. 

Asra’s voice was low, just enough for you to hear but not Muriel. 

“Don’t worry about him, we’ll all be spending quite some time together and he’ll come around. Whether he likes it or not.” He sent you a wink, his reassurance was much needed and you chuckled in response. 

“He’s quiet and shy, but you’ll find he’s really nice and soft. Just like you, you’ll get along fine even if he’s a little prickly at first. He’s just feeling confused on how to feel about you right now.” Asra let out an airy laugh and locked his fingers behind his head and looked towards the sky a bit before turning back to you. 

“He likes to stick to what he knows and what he’s comfortable with. What he knows is that he’s comfortable with me. You’re new and scary right now, but we’ll help him along the way. I want you two to be close. To be able to lean on each other when I’m gone on some journey.” The magician’s features softened even more than you imagined they could as he imagined a future where his two best friends were close and happy awaiting him to come home. 

That was when the two of your emerged from the tree line and looked forward to see a field of golden wheat ahead. Asra elbowed you softly in the side and leaned close to whisper in your ear. 

“I want you to ask Muriel if he’d rather ride the Beast or take the scenic route and walk the whole way to Nopal.” He gave one last cheeky wink for good luck and you both turned to wait for Muriel to come from the tree line as well. 

**(Muriel POV)**

There he goes, whispering in their ears again, he discreetly rolled his eyes and caught up to you two. Standing closer to Asra but still out of touching distance. If Asra noticed he didn’t show it, but knowing him, as observant as Asra was, he knew he took note of his wariness. 

“Um, do you want to ride the Beast or take the scenic route and walk to Nopal?” You spoke, he leveled you with a stare but eased up when he took notice of how anxious you looked. _Were they afraid of me?_

“Whatever’s quicker.” Muriel mumbled; he pouted a bit because he was taken aback by your sudden question. Why’d you care what he wanted to do? 

“Ahh, beast it is. I had hoped you’d pick that one!” Asra sighed dreamily, “this is going to be fun!” He hooked his slim arms around you and Muriel’s elbows and skipped towards the edge of the fields. 

Muriel’s suddenly felt all too big, and the idea of riding any animal troubled him, what if he was too heavy? “This Beast big enough?” He asked, fiddling nervously with his cloak to keep his hands occupied. 

“Of course, of course! No worries my friend, I have this all planned out well.” Asra unhooked his arms from you both and made quick work rubbing small circles onto Muriel’s lower back to ease out any tension, while his other hand rubbed up and down on his thick forearm. Muriel did feel at ease and he enjoyed the sudden attention from Asra. However, guilt quickly followed suit as Asra explained he came out to these fields all week to feed the Beast hearty meals so that they had the energy to fly three people off to Nopal. Here Muriel was feeling as if he was causing too much trouble for the poor thing. 

Hours of walking was starting to take its toll on Muriel’s feet. Just as he was about to ask Asra if this really was the quicker route Asra skipped on ahead leaving him and the apprentice behind. 

He glanced down at you and quickly averted his eyes when he saw you were already looking up at him. He felt a heat rise to his cheeks and he was sure you’d notice how he got embarrassed, but you didn’t mention it. For that he was grateful. 

“He must be with the Beast, I figured we were close,” you spoke focused your eyes back ahead to the golden field ebbing and flowing with the wind. “It looks like a golden sea, it’s beautiful.” 

Muriel only grunted and quickened his pace a bit to distance himself from you and catch up to Asra. But yes, he agrees, it does look like nice. 

Asra turns his attention back for only a moment, noticing Muriel had left you behind. He raises his brow at Muriel in a scolding, but playful manner. You quickly come into view not long after and Asra gives you a wistful smile, one that asked you for patience. 

“There’s nothing here.” Muriel surprisingly broke the silence. You could almost see a literal light bulb light up above the magician’s fluffy pearlescent hair, he’s got an idea. 

“Hold your hands,” Asra said as he made his way over to his two friends, and you both followed his directions obediently without much thought. Asra poured some water chestnuts into your hands and some in Muriel’s too, he sauntered behind you both and urged you toward the open space in the wheat field. 

A ruffling sound could be heard, and Muriel noticed the shuffling of wheat going along with the sound. _Must be the Beast_ , he thought to himself. He spared you a glance out of curiosity and saw you looking back to Asra with a worried expression. _Must be scared._

He took a step forward and bent down a bit, so that whenever this Beast showed itself, they would eat from his hand first and give you a moment to compose yourself and see that there’s nothing to worry about. Why he thought to do this, he’s not too sure, but his body moved on its own accord. 

A large animal did finally show itself, and a wide tongue lapped up the snack from Muriel’s palm. The edges of his lips tweaked upward for only a moment, but the second you came beside him his lips formed a tight line to hide his smile. 

You inched your hand forward and the Beast smelled more food, slowly it craned its neck to face you, its tongued lapped these snacks up as well and you giggled at the sensation. 

“It tickles!” you smiled brightly at Muriel and he held your gaze, not looking as rough around the edges as he did before but he showed no emotion. His mind however, was running a mile a minute. _Why are they smiling at me, why are they so nice, after everything, what the hell?_

Asra came up behind you both and clasped his hands together, Muriel straightened back up to his full height, not having noticed he was down to your eye level moments ago. Asra grinned mischievously, _was this progress already _, he thought to himself.__

__“Well, you two don’t know the way, so I’ll be in front, Muriel, you’ll have to sit in back and, Y/N, you get squished in the middle!” Asra chirped, he moved forward to speak with the Beast and remind the creature where they were headed and if they were ready for it._ _

__Muriel felt like he could see steam was flying out of your ears, your face was dark with blush and you were sweating like mad. Yes, of course he didn’t like the idea of having to be so close to you but that’s all it was, he didn’t quite understand your reaction. At least, not yet._ _

__Asra and Muriel sat on the Beast first, and Muriel was glad that the Beast’s poor legs didn’t give out from under them when he sat. He mentally sighed in relief, and turned to watch you attempt to mount with only Asra’s help. Asra gave Muriel a quick look, asking for just a little bit of help. Muriel shook his head ‘no’ and yet at the same time his body betrayed him and held out his large hand for you to take, you stared for a moment but quickly grabbed it and noted how his calloused hand felt holding yours. It felt nice._ _

___Their hand is soft_ , he thought, but he pushed the thought aside as he hoisted you up and you took your seat. They smell nice, like flowers and lemon, his cheeks were dusted in a rosy tint at the proximity of you both but he vowed to not hold on to you during the ride. _ _

__Without a moment to waste, the Beast leapt from the ground with a burst of speed. Asra whoops with laughter, barely audible over the sound of harsh wind whipping past you and Muriel’s ears, you both flail your arms a bit looking for purchase, afraid of falling off as you’re already hundreds of feet away from the ground in an instant._ _

__You lock your arms around Asra’s waist and Muriel does the same to you, his face is a furious red as he subconsciously huddles close to you._ _

__“If my boundaries are going to keep getting testing like this, this is going to be a long trip.” He groans, not meaning to say it out loud, but you smile back at him softly and Asra laughs just a bit harder._ _

___This is a _little_ fun._ _ _


	3. Kissed by Clouds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One step forward and two steps back. Muriel finds himself pulled into your gravity of kindness. However, he's stubborn, he'll continue to fight off your affections and stand his ground, though he finds himself slipping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going to pretend the house in Nopal is two stories lol.

The Beast continued to soar through the skies and the three of you became accustomed to the quick change in altitude. By this time the Sun was started to head ever closer toward the horizon, to keep that last bit of sunlight the Beat flew above the clouds for the rest of the journey and slowed its speed to conserve energy. 

Asra peeked back at you both, and his soft lips wobbled as he tried to stifle his laughter. 

“We’re soaked from flying through those grey clouds!” He chirped as he combed his slender fingers from his white damp curls and moving them off of his forehead. 

You loosened your arms from around Asra’s waist as you followed his lead and moved your other dripping hair from your face. Muriel however hadn’t opened his eyes just yet, nor did he unslink his arms from around you. 

You tapped Muriel’s arm just a bit to garner his attention, the feel of him around you wasn’t an unwelcome one, but you’re sure he didn’t want to hold you the whole ride. 

“It’s safe now, look how soft the clouds look.” You gave him a soft comforting smile. He wet chocolatey brown locks covered his face, so you didn’t notice the rosey color dusting his cheeks. He quickly snatched his arms away from your hips and looked out to the clouds you pointed at. 

They surely do looks soft. “Like Asra’s hair”, his gravelly voice spoke. You hum along in agreement and look to Asra. 

“Yea, just like his hair!” you quipped. Asra playfully rolled his eyes and turned forward to speak to the Beast, asking them to fly a little lower so you all could feel the clouds. 

Muriel noticed the quick decline and placed his large hand on your shoulder, to keep himself grounded. He didn’t want to touch you but he had no one else to hold onto to feel stable. You simply placed your own hand over his for the remainder of the descent to relax him as much as you could. You paid no real attention to his touch, feeling if you moved, he’d simply snatch himself away, and you’d miss the sensation. 

When you reached the clouds Asra dipped his hand into them, and sighed. 

“They are soft! And wet!” He laughed as he pulled his hand back and noticed the drops of dew left behind. 

You dunked your hands into the clouds and gently held a bit of them, surprised they hadn’t immediately faded away. 

Asra smiled endearingly and Muriel looked intrigued himself. He copied your action but his hands just weren't as soft as yours, they held for a second but fell apart under his grasp, he reflexively pouted at that. You held you bundle of clouds out to him and let him touch, he was wary of you but ignoring you would be a bit too harsh in such close proximity. 

He pats the clouds and without warning you left them go into his hands, this time they held. They would have held for longer had you not playfully poked them just as he was holding the clouds up to his face. The soft fluffy clouds fell apart in his hands and the breeze blew them over his face and through his hair. 

The feeling was cool and misty and when he opened his eyes the look on your face almost made him smile. You looked happy, your soft eyes and smile seemed to make everything else face away. The wind whipping through your hair, the soft orange evening rays of sun kissed your skin and made you glow. He gave a small smile and looked away, it was all too bright for him just then and he didn’t understand why his heart skipped a beat. 

You quickly turned around and as you did Asra left a cloud he had been holding himself fall apart on your face just as you did Muriel and you laughed. The sound was nice, he thought. 

The rest of the journey to Nopal was quiet. He was grateful for that, however now he was alone again with his thoughts. All though he found you nice, he still wasn’t welcome to your presence. He could only imagine how Asra would have looked handing him a piece of cloud, and giggling when it fell apart. How soft you looked, he imagined, Asra would have looked event softer. 

He tried to imagine the sight. How golden Asra would look up close in that lighting. The sun was down now and the stars began twinkling above. The sky was a beautiful dark blue now, and as he admired the sight, tracing the constellations in his mind you started naming a few aloud. 

“That one is Ursa Major, right?” You pointed above and Muriel simply nodded in agreement. He was surprised that you knew about the stars but sure Asra must have taught you. 

“That one is Orion’s Belt, he’s always easy for me to find.” You mention, and you continue to list off the stars and planets you recognize, and Muriel from time to time would point one out that you missed. 

Asra smiled to himself as he listened to the almost one-sided conversation. He was glad they had something in common. 

“We’re almost there. I can’t wait to sleep!” He added during a lapse of silence. Almost on queue the Beast started its deep descent towards the ground. Your arms found their old position comfortably around Asra’s waist, and hesitantly, Muriel’s arms found themselves around you. 

On The ground Asra hopped off the beast and helped you slide off, Muriel watched as Asra held his hand out to him and scoffed at the gesture. _As if he’d be much help to me_. He shook his head and dismounted the Beast himself and the creature was quick to trundle off out of sight to rest. 

Asra gave a stretch and roughly patted Muriel on the back. “Off to bed now! Me and Y/N will do breakfast in the morning, and Muriel I’m sure you’ll want to acquaint yourself with the plants out front.” 

Asra escorted Muriel upstairs to his bed and left you to ready yourself for sleep downstairs. 

“I’m proud of you.” Asra purred playfully, he bumped himself into Muriel’s side to gain his attention. 

“For what?” Muriel played innocent; he knew was Asra was talking about. Asra was proud that Muriel spoke to you and was as nice as he could be today. Muriel didn’t want to admit it, and this conversation was quickly reminding him just how aggravated this situation could make him. 

“You know, I want you too to get along, you already have a lot more in common than you imagine~” Asra was mischievous as always, but Muriel ignored his words. Of course, the only time the two of them are alone Asra was only talking of you. His jealousy stirred again deep in his stomach. A foul taste found its way onto his tongue. 

“It meant nothing...” Muriel grunted. Asra, left it alone and bid him a good night and found his way lazily back down stairs to rest. Muriel rolled his eyes and sat roughly on the bed. He wondered if he and Asra would ever have a moment alone to talk about anything but Y/N. Wishful thinking. 

He closed his eyes and slept a dreamless sleep.


	4. Desert Primeval

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first morning in Nopal leads to awkward encounters and anxiety. You take the first step to become close with the hermit through gardening!

Hushed snickers rouse Muriel from his deep sleep. The best he’d slept in years, he imagined. He heaves a sigh and sits up on the bed, he wipes the sleep from his mossy green orbs with the back of his hand. He looks around his surroundings, taking note of all the trinkets that litter the room he’ll be inhabiting for the next few weeks. Little pieces of Asra all around him, he feels his familiar thrum or magic vibrating out of the crystals around the room. 

The morning sun shines perfectly through the window, warming his olive skin. He shakes out his brown locks, not caring for how they fall around his face. He gives a stretch and sighs at the sensation. 

The peace he was just getting accustomed to is interrupted by your shrill laughter. Muriel rolls his eyes and decides he’d rather spend the morning alone for now than join you and Asra downstairs in whatever you two were doing. He spends his morning watching dust float about through the light that shone through the window, yesterday was a long and tiring and Muriel needed the alone time. 

You and Asra both knew that and decided to leave him be for now. Asra felt now was as good as ever to head into town and grab some groceries for breakfast and lunch. He left and silence fell over the house. Muriel hoped he was a lone but sensed your presence inching up the stairs, he held his breath. Anxiety rose within him and he hoped you’d keep your distance and leave him alone. 

Yesterday was nice but don’t hope he’s going to be so kind anymore. He doesn’t like you; he wishes you weren’t here. Had he known you’d be on this trip he wouldn't have agreed to it. 

His prayers were answered when you slinked away towards the bathroom. Muriel didn’t feel completely at ease though, you were still too close to him, and alone at that. Your proximity to him fried his nerves and kept him on edge. That didn’t go unnoticed by you, you could feel it when you walked past his room. 

It bothered you but it couldn’t be helped this morning. You called upon your magic to fill the basin in the bathroom with steaming water fit for a bath. Muriel felt the tingle of your magic, the orbit of it was larger than Asra’s. 

The feeling of it was quite the opposite of Asra, though it still left him mesmerized. It made the hair on the back of his neck rise up, goosebumps rose across his skin, it made him shiver. It felt quite thrilling but so new it frightened him a bit, imaging what you could be capable of. Your magic faded and left him wanting, but he buried the feeling deep down, he didn’t understand it and he didn’t want to just yet. 

You sighed as your muscles relaxed in the warmth of the bath, you stayed there a while before you reminded yourself that Asra would be back soon. You should be down there to greet him and help with the groceries. 

Muriel hesitantly made his way silently out of his hiding space and quickly made his way outside. Being inside was making him more antsy than he imagined it would, but with you being preoccupied and Asra away, this is a good time to be alone with the foliage and succulents outside and get acquainted. 

“Asra hasn’t been here in months.” He grumbled to himself, he sucked his teeth at the state of the fauna. Dry and thirsty, but nothing a little watering and attention couldn’t fix. A well nearby grabbed his attention but he knew to not get his hopes up. 

“Dry...” He propped himself up on the lip of the well and let his head drop in defeat. Muriel had his talents at magic, but he never put summoning into practice as much as Asra did. He only really worked on protection spells to keep him and Asra safe. 

As much as he doesn’t like the idea, he’d have to wait for Asra to return as ask him to summon the water underneath the dry dirt at the bottom of the well. Muriel tunes into to the sounds of nature around him, hyperaware of the sound of the wind, the flap of butterfly wings, the smell of the desert, the rustle and crunch of the dry vines what found themselves wrapped around the bricks and wood that create the well. 

Focusing so much on the sounds of primeval desert, his ears neglected to hear the sounds of the apprentice tiptoeing up to him. Your voice, as melodic as it is catches him off guard, acting off of instinct Muriel hastily jumps back from you and steps behind the well, putting it between you both. 

You slap your hand to your forehead and cringe at your own forgetfulness. “I’m sorry, I should have announced myself earlier!” Muriel roughly released the breath he didn’t register he was holding and frowns. You bashfully kick around the sand beneath your feet before you speak again. 

“What are you up to?” You keep your gaze averted, afraid of what kind of look Muriel must be wearing. An awkward silence pours on for just a bit too long before Muriel’s heart rate settles and he responds. 

“Wells dried up.” He slothfully waves his hand at the well and you peer deep inside. Muriel finds himself observing the fall of your hair and its color before you stand back up. When you do, he quickly averts his gaze back to the bottom of the well. 

“You need water? I can use my magic to bring it forth. Only if you want...” You suggest bashfully, the conversation is dry but being of any use to Muriel would ease your worries a bit. He raises a brow quizzically, and walks away back towards the plants. “Do what you want.” 

The now familiar spark of your magic vibrates the air and he hears the slosh of water from below, but he’s not impressed at all. It’s simple enough and had you not come outside he wouldn’t have had you help him. In the back of his mind he is grateful though, he’s rough around the edges but he’s not so rude as to ignore this kindness. 

He turns the give you his thanks only to be met by the sight of your struggling to pull up the full pail of water. His lips almost twist up into a smile but he steels himself. He trundles over to you and pulls the rope to raise the bucket the rest of the way out of the well by himself. 

“...Thanks.” He mumbles, you barely catch it and respond with a small smile. Muriel hopes that’s the end of this ordeal and that you’ll go back inside and leave him alone. He finds once again he’s not so lucky. As he waters the plants, he feels your eyes scanning over him and surveying his work. Just as you were about to ask about what specific plants these were Muriel’s voice interrupts. 

“You’re still here...” He sounds utterly annoyed, there’s no real venom to his words but they sting a bit anyhow. You take a step back, the words and how he sounded fray your nerves making you feel a bit jittery and anxious. 

“Oh! I’m sorry I can leave if you’d like?” 

“Yes...” He raises his voice just a tad, you take the hint and quickly make your way inside. You don’t want to push him, you already made him jump out of his skin just a few minutes ago. 

The anxiety this gives you is painful but you imagine he may feel worse. He may feel suffocated when around you, and while the tension is so thick you don’t want to make things worse. You just decide that after yesterday’s success, he needs space and alone time to recharge. 

Muriel paces a bit by the flowers to ease the tension caught up in his body. _Breathe. Breathe. Breathe._ He echoes in his mind. His fist is balled tightly around the handle of the watering can and his knuckles are white. That situation had caused him more stress than he wanted to allow, but still he couldn’t ignore the effect on him. 

You release a shaky breath and head to the sitting room to calm yourself. 

“Breathe. Just breathe.” You repeat to yourself. “It’s not that bad. It could be worse. Yesterday turned out good, just leave it be for now Y/N.” You say, hand over your chest to calm your pounding heart. This situation gives you great anxiety but the end result you hope for is worth it all for now. 

You both just need to breathe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted the reader to deal with social anxieties of their own in this story. Something a little different from the usual headstrong MC I find in a lot of Arcana fics. They’re anxious talking to Muriel so when he speaks and shows a little too much irritation they’ll kind of privately freak out. Not out of fear, but because they don’t want to cause trouble to make anyone mad, they don’t want to annoy him and push him away further. So i hope the end of this chapter conveyed that well enough. <333


	5. Lemon Sugar Cookies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Asra make a lemony lunch for Muriel and play cards. Muriel, feeling smothered, is quickly pushed past his limits and boundaries.

Muriel released one more long trembling sigh, feeling the last bits of tension melt away from his tight muscles. He rolled his shoulders and continued his long-awaited chores with the garden. Watering the succulents and pulling away any dead leaves. Sweat beading at his brows while he worked, he hardly realized Asra was now crouched next to his hulking figure. 

“Peek-a-boo!” Asra teased, his voice carrying an air of mischief as always. Muriel flinched but quickly relaxed at the presence of his friend. 

He gave a quick grunt to acknowledge Asra’s prank and continued his weed pulling. Asra stood and watched for a moment before checking the well for water. 

“Did Y/N come bring the water or did you figure it out yourself?” Asra asked leaning over the old well and staring into his wobbly reflection. 

“They did...” Muriel answered in an uninterested tone but Asra could read through it all, more happened, but he decided not to press his hermit friend for further details. Noticing more of the progress Muriel had already made on beautifying the neglected garden, the pearlescent-haired magician gave a whistle in admiration. 

“Good job! I’ll leave you to it then, me and Y/N will start whipping up lunch! Wash up and join us when you’re done.” Asra playfully bumping into Muriel’s hunched form as he walked into the house with baskets full of produce. 

Inside, Asra called out your name and after a moment you appeared from the sitting room, smile bright as if nothing was amiss. 

“Welcome back! What are we making?” You asked tip toeing into the kitchen to join the magician. 

“One of Muriel’s favorites, plus it’ll go good with this hot weather. Some spiced fish with a lemony salad.” He informed, keeping his back to you as he sorted through the groceries to find what he’d need to put away for later, and what you both would use for lunch. 

“Sounds tasty. He likes lemon?” Asra chuckled at that, looking over his shoulder to see your puzzled face. 

“Loves them. He could eat them like an apple if I let him!” You both laughed over the idea of Muriel biting into a lemon, peel and all. 

“Then should we make lemonade too, more tart for his taste?” You asked, starting to slice the lemons carefully on the counter. 

“Sure! Since he’s out there, hard at work, lemonade sounds perfect. Good idea Y/N!” Asra gave you a bright grin before tending to the fish, filleting it and getting rid of any scales. 

You two worked in silence for most of the early afternoon, Asra giving you instructions that you followed dutifully. You seemed eager to please, but not necessarily for Asra’s sake, but for Muriel. You didn’t want to disappoint, not that you imagined he’d actually voice any complaints either way. 

The food was nearly done when the man of the hour entered the small kitchen, shimmying past both your figures to make his way upstairs to clean up before eating. Asra gave Muriel a sly wink when he caught his friend sniffing at the air, the food smelled delicious. 

Muriel blushed and quickly averted his eyes, embarrassed. He won’t admit it but he looked forward to the food. He came in to get ready for it before he was completely satisfied with the garden. Part of the reason being that he wanted more work to do over his stay in Nopal, the other part being that the smell of food was making his stomach grumble quite loudly. 

It had been a while since he had Asra’s home cooking, and even longer since Asra brought by any of yours. You both had a culinary talent Muriel didn’t quite understand but he was grateful for it nevertheless. Back in Vesuvia, Asra would drop off some cookies that you made without actually disclosing that it was your baking. Muriel loved the cookies, complimenting Asra’s work and asking for more in the future and that was when Asra told Muriel it was actually your baking he ate. 

Annoyed, Muriel tried to take back all that he said, but it was too late. He just scoffed was waved off Asra’s giggles, they both could be quite childish at times. 

Muriel, too stubborn for his own good and Asra almost too playful, but they were good together. Asra knew how to open Muriel up to new things and Muriel knew how to keep Asra grounded. 

Muriel descended the stairs and arrived to a set table. The food looked as good as it smelled and the lemonade you were pouring made his mouth water. He had been ignoring how thirsty he was to avoid having to come back into the home before Asra returned and here you were making a deliciously tart lemonade just the way he liked. Not at all sweet, pulpy, and refreshingly cool. 

“We made your favorite! Well, it’s not eel, but one of your other favorites!” Asra pridefully announced gesturing to the table full of food. Muriel sat himself in the last chair available and looked over the food. 

“Thank you.” He mumbled quietly before grabbing his fork and playing with his salad awkwardly. 

“Let’s eat!” Asra shouted excitedly, and you giggled at his antics, echoing his words. 

“Yeah, let’s eat!” You grinned at both Asra and Muriel, before busying yourself with your food. As usual, Asra did more of the talking, he spoke about how the market was already getting decorated for the festival, beautiful pink, purple, and yellow daisies in full bloom. 

You would utter in your own responses and listened intently to Asra’s words. Muriel on the other hand paid more attention to his meal, only humming in acknowledgement when he was addressed, hardly looking up from his plate. 

He didn’t know how to talk to you, and after the awkward encounter earlier in the morning, he didn’t have the energy to try. Eating at the same table as you made his antsy enough as it is, thus, Muriel was quick to finish his meal. 

“The food was good.” He stated plainly. He took his dishes to the sink was washed them thoroughly. He also began to clean the mess you both made of the kitchen. It was the least he could do. 

You finished next and made sure to announce that you done so as to alert Muriel that you’d be joining him in the kitchen. 

“That was good! Muriel, I didn’t know you liked lemon so much.” You tested the waters, trying to get to know more about what other things the man liked. 

“Why would you know?” He replied dryly. 

“Oh, you’re right. Silly me. Well, lemon is good. T-though I like a sweeter lemonade. We agree on the pulp aspect though!” This was awkward, but you wanted to have more interactions in front of Asra as to not ambush Muriel every time he was alone. 

“...mhm.” Muriel only hummed in response, clearly uninterested in this lemon conversation. You came behind him, intending to wash your own plate and glass but he held up his large hand to stop you. 

“I’ll wash that.” He took the dishes from your hands gently but quickly, you were taken aback, but appreciative. 

“Oh, thank you. Are you sure?” 

“Yes... Kitchens too small for both of us...” With that, you figured he’d had enough talk and nothing else was keeping you there. The kitchen being just off the dining room Asra saw and heard the whole exchange. He figured this was a good enough start for the both of you. You sat back at the table and Asra finished his food, though he planned to wait until Muriel sat back down to go take care of his own dishes. 

Muriel dried his hands on a cloth and sat back at the table clumsily, and just as he did Asra stood and left into the kitchen, leaving you two kind of alone. You fiddled with your fingers and for a second before hatching an idea. 

“Do you both want to play cards? Maybe?” You prodded, looking at Asra’s back. Muriel fights back the urge to roll his green mossy eyes, he wanted this lunch to be over with sooner rather than later but he found that he had nothing else to do for now and with Asra watching, nowhere to run. 

Asra smiled at you both, as he dried his hands with the same cloth Muriel had previously. 

“Of course! Nothing else to do for the rest of the evening!” Muriel silently sucked his teeth, he hated that it was as if Asra could read his mind. Asra could tell that Muriel wanted to get away from this table and be anywhere else in the world, but he wasn’t going to let him off the hook so soon. 

Asra wasn’t forcing him to play, but they both knew he could and would handle a few hours of cards, just the three of them. As the games went on, Muriel found himself having a little fun, of course, he couldn’t fully admit that to himself. He knows he’s stubborn, and it’s hard for him not to be when you and Asra laugh so naturally together. No matter what happens, Asra looks to you to laugh and grin, and you look right back to him. Asra only looks to Muriel, he surmises, as an afterthought. _Y/N first, then me_ , the hermit thinks to himself. 

He’s jealous, and he hates the feeling. His irritation his growing but his face remains neutral for now. Asra gets a few more games out of Muriel before he decides to turn in for a nap, he urges you both to continue playing without him. You flash him a knowing smile and shoo him off for his nap. 

You heave a sigh and let your minute tension ease from your shoulders. 

“Hey, we don’t have to keep playing, I know you’d rather no-” 

“Good.” Muriel quickly interjected, seeing himself out the back door without another word. _Should have seen that coming_ , you thought to yourself. You could easily tell he was getting more uncomfortable by the second and needed a break. You had been tapping Asra’s feet with your own the past hour trying to end the game and let Muriel have his alone time. Even you wanted a break, you admit. 

Lunch was a bit of a success you thought, though with the card game afterward, you felt Asra was pushing his limits a little too soon. To relax yourself, you decided to bake cookies. There were leftover lemons you wanted to use so you decided on sweet sugary lemon chamomile cookies. 

Muriel paced a ways away from the house, his frustration peaking. He was tense, it had been a long day today. Asra didn’t know when to quit it seemed, always pushing his limits to get his way. 

“Why is he trying to force this?” He grunted to himself, kicking a stray rock to punctuate his irritation. He paced for a while longer before heaving a large sigh, deflating and feeling exhausted. Muriel was tired of this trip and it had only begun. Under much different circumstances he’d enjoy his time here, but now he wasn’t just annoyed with you; he was mad at Asra. 

He groaned and made his way inside, hoping to avoid anyone on his way to his room to sleep his feelings off. Knowing his bad luck, there you are, in the kitchen with delicious smelling lemony cookies. Being kind and _aggravating_. 

“Oh, hi, my first batch of cookies are out the oven, would you like one? There’s lemon!” You seemed to bounce back better than he could when it came to uncomfortable situations, much like Asra. 

“Enough of this already.” He growled, looming over you and casting shadows over your features. 

“Enough of the lemon?” You asked, genuinely confused, but nervous nonetheless. He rolled his eyes and you felt your heart drop, anticipating that Muriel was about to unleash his frustrations on you. 

“No... enough of you and Asra trying to force whatever you want out of me.” The look on Muriel’s face almost frightened you. Angry eyes staring you down, you shrunk under his scrutinizing glare. 

“I- I’m sorry, I just don’t want you to hate me-” Interrupting you, Muriel spoke again, his deep voice resonating through your bones with finality. 

“I do hate you.” Your misty eyes blew wide, mouth slightly agape staring back at him in horror. With that Muriel already knew he regretted everything he just said. He didn’t hate you; he knew that. He just didn’t know how to communicate how he felt to Asra, how he was jealous and lonely. 

Muriel was disgusted with himself and he felt his heart crumble inside as the realization dawned on him. He was taking all his frustrations out on you when you had been nothing but kind and welcoming. He quickly averted his eyes from your destroyed expression. He wanted to apologize but he didn’t know how to get the words out around the hard lump that was growing in his throat. He darted up the stairs and shut himself away in his room, leaving you there alone. 

Your heart was pounding, you felt time had stopped. You let out a shaky trembling breath that you didn’t know you were holding. The first tear finally sliding down your cheek. Your chest felt empty, as the smell of burning cookies filtered through the air. Burning your hands as you snatched the pan out of the oven, tossing it on the counter. 

You cried silently, as not to disturb Muriel or wake Asra. You would keep this to yourself, you didn’t want Asra to pester Muriel any more than he had already and you didn’t want to push any more of Muriel’s boundaries. You wanted to forget, and move on. 

Sniffling you shuffled the burned batch of cookies off into the trash and prepared a new batch. No lemon this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if I'm making MC a little too soft for your taste, but quite honestly I, too, would burst into tears if Muriel yelled at me. We have a soft sensitive MC.


	6. Mending Bridges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Muriel avoid each other like the plague, will Asra help bring you back together?

Muriel dropped his large body onto the edge of his plush bed, holding his face in his hands. His nerves were eating away at him from the inside, bouncing his legs to distract himself form the rest of his trembling body. 

His soft bottom lip was trembling, as you were crying silently to yourself downstairs Muriel was fighting back tears of his own. What was the point in all of this anger inside of him? Was he only capable of hurting people? He never wanted to make you cry. Muriel pulled at his hair before stopping himself to breathe, trying and failing to calm his pounding heart. 

He fell back onto his bed, curling in on himself. He prayed for sleep, he wanted to forget what just happened, hoping that when he awoke, he’d find that it was all a dream. Yet, slumber never came to the man, he was restless. The vision of your dejected expression, your shoulders dropping, the tears about to flow from your eyes. He wanted nothing more than to right his wrongs and give you a chance. 

You were kind and gentle, the total opposite of what he was used to with strangers. All this time he was mean and cold to you, and he was disgusted with his behavior. Asra adored you, and he finally had the chance to see why and instead he continued to push you away. Now, he feared he lost his chance. How could he apologize, how could he make up for what he did? 

Unbeknownst to Muriel, he had spent the entire night racking his mind for a solution. The early morning sun filtered in through his window, shining light on the dust that floated gently through the air. He ought to get outside and take care of those plants before you wake up, so he can avoid seeing your sad demeanor. 

Muriel tiptoed out of his room, peaking around the corner in the hallway. He cringed when the floor boards creaked under his weight, as light as he could be on his feet and made his way down the stairs. 

When he entered the kitchen his froze, breath hitching and caught in his throat. There you were, sound asleep at the dining room table surrounded by platters of cookies. You had some dough on your cheek, he noticed, but then his heart sank when he also noticed the trails of dried tears there. 

He silently moved outside, plucking one cookie off of a tray on his way. It was soft, fluffy and delicious. Just the right amount of lemon and sugar, damn your cooking could be the end of him. 

Muriel began to pull more weeds, the memory of your sleeping form burned into his mind. He was afraid of Asra seeing you there, alone and sad. The anticipation of who would awake first gave him anxiety. Asra would surely come straight for Muriel, scolding him for his words, but if you woke up first the guilt of Asra being unaware of the pain Muriel caused you would pain him just as much. 

Soon he got his answer, Muriel heard the clanging of pots and pans coming from the open kitchen window. His heart raced, were you going to come out and talk to him or were you going to actively avoid him for the day? He paused his work in the garden to sit by the well and catch his breath. 

Just as he steadied his breathing you came outside, both of you stopping to gape at one another. Simultaneously your eyes darted away from each other, and you quickly walked off towards the market in town. You were carrying an alarming number of cookies with you. 

Asra woke up with the early afternoon sun, his nap from yesterday turning into a long night’s sleep. He stretched and yawned loudly, satisfied with the popping of his back. Asra looked out the window to see Muriel in the yard again, pulling weeds and arranging the cacti, and you were walking back up to the house with an empty backet on your hip. 

He noticed you and Muriel made not eye contact and never even acknowledged the others presence, actively pretending the other wasn’t there. He found it odd but assumed something must have happened while he disappeared to sleep. 

“I’ll leave it to Muriel to fix.” Sighing, Asra stretched once again and got up for the day. He hopped down the stairs and hugged you from behind, making you laugh softly. He’ll avoid asking how your night was, he wants you and Muriel to handle your affairs without his help until it’s necessary for him to get involved. 

“Ooh! Cookies!” Asra popped a lemony cookie into his mouth and hummed at the flavor. 

“I’m glad you like them.” You smiled and quickly busied yourself with cooking a small lunch for the three of you, a vegetable soup with left over lemonade. Asra noticed your body language, you were anxious and distracted. 

“Let me, you just go sit over there. I saw you just came back from the little market in town.” Asra bumped you with his hip and move you out of the way, and lighten your mood. You laughed lightly and sat at the dining room table, watching him work. 

“Yeah, I got a little carried away with the baking last night so I gave away from cookies to the vendors and children. Good people.” You fiddled with the hem of your shirt nervously, hoping Asra won’t ask too many questions. 

“Is that so? I wondered why you came back with an empty basket.” He laughed at that and shot you a bright smile. You smiled in return, secretly thanking Asra for his fun-loving personality. You knew he could tell you were a little sad, but refrained asking for many details. He could guess what was the issue at hand. Speak of the Devil and he shall come, Muriel awkwardly entered the room. 

Despite it telling himself to avoid eye contact with you, his large green orbs slid over to where you sat. His eyes widened when he saw you looking back at him and his averted his gaze. Scratching at his chin, Muriel cleared his throat. 

“Cookies were good...” He stated, voice trembling with anxiety. 

“O-oh, thanks...” You replied, your eyes looked onto your feet. You guess he tasted some cookies while you slept, you didn’t know how to feel about that but in spite of it all you were glad he liked them. 

“Lunch is ready!” Asra interrupted, swinging the attention onto him. He carried the hot pot over to the dining table and sat it in the middle. He ladled the hearty soup into you and Muriel’s bowls before seating himself at the table. 

“I think I’ll eat outside, it’s a nice day out!” You said, and before you could notice the pout on Asra’s lips you were standing from the table and leaving out the back door. 

Asra sighed and placed his chin onto his palm before his violet eyes met Muriel’s guilty olive ones. 

“I don’t know what happened, and I won’t ask, but figure it out.” Was all Asra said, before the two ate their lunch in relative silence. Just as they finished Asra spoke again. 

“Are you upset with me?” He asked, concerned for his friend. Asra knew he could be a little pushy when it came to Muriel, he just wanted the best for him and maybe this time his methods were doing more harm than good. 

“N-no... Yes? I don’t know. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t be.” Muriel stuttered out his reply as he washed their dishes. He looked up to see you outside still, looking off into the distance. He admired your profile for a moment before he tore his eyes away. 

“I was jealous. But I didn’t have to be! I could have just gotten to know Y/N instead of being bitter. So, I was upset with you, because I felt left out. But not I’m upset with myself because I did it to myself.” Muriel explained, he wanted to be honest with Asra. He wanted Asra’s help but he knew he wanted to make this right on his own. He wanted to make you happy again, so the three of you could enjoy this trip together. 

He was tired of being bitter, tired of being anxious. All this time he was missing out on knowing you, judging you before you had the chance to show him your character. Now, he felt, it may be too late. He showed you his ugly side all this time, unprovoked. Could you forgive him? How will he go about this? 

“I’m sorry.” Asra said, pulling Muriel from his racing thoughts. Muriel was stunned, although all this time Muriel was blaming you and Asra for his attitude, he never expected Asra to apologize. Now that he understood his own feelings, he didn’t want the apology. Muriel felt he was the one that should apologize to Asra, and now _especially_ you. 

“No, it’s me! I’m sorry!” Muriel exclaimed, shaking his hands in front of his chest. Asra only smiled and laughed at Muriel’s reaction. 

“Look, you two will get through this. You just have to apologize and make things right; you can do it. I won't interfere anymore though, it’s all on you!” Asra embraced Muriel in a quick, but loving hug before releasing the hermit. 

Muriel’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat, he looked back to you, the afternoon sun making your skin shine like gold. The view made him blush; you were beautiful, peaceful looking. 

Muriel sighed before straightening out his posture and stepping out into the backyard, giving you a regretful look. 

“Hi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meh, not the best chapter imo, but i gotta do what i gotta do.


	7. Hyacinths For Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regret, sorrow, anxiety, and forgiveness. Finally, Muriel and the reader make up! How will their relationship develop now?

“Hi...” You replied, you voice sounded so small. Any nerves Muriel built up to come make amends with you were now frying away, he felt the prickling on anxiety crawl up his spine as he fumbled for his words. 

“Uhm, a-about yesterday--” 

“Don’t. You don’t have to apologize. I know you want space, so I’ll give you that.” Your interruption stunned Muriel. 

“But--” 

“I’m sorry. I understand how you feel, Muriel really. I was jealous of you at a point. Asra tells you everything, he seems so comfortable around you and he has nothing to hide. You two have known each other so long and I don’t have that.” You mustered the strength to give the man standing next to you a very sad smile. 

“So please, don’t apologize. We pushed you and you have nothing to be sorry about.” With an air of finality, you shuffled inside of the house and off to your room for some privacy before Muriel could speak. 

Defeated, Muriel heaved a long sigh before dropping himself into the chair you were just sitting in. He watched as the sun made its descent towards this distant horizon. 

“This will be much harder than I imagined.” He whined. 

… 

“So, how’d it go?” Asra asked, giving Muriel a kitten like grin while holding his head in his hands. 

“They didn’t let me get a single word out.” Muriel frowned, crossing his toned arms over his chest. Asra barked with laughter before giving Muriel a reassuring pat on his shoulders. 

“Figured as much, but all will be well with time my friend. You two are destined to be great friends, the cards told me so!” He chirped, before trotting off for an early nap. 

“Is that so?” Muriel skeptically asked with his signature pout plastered on his face. 

“ _Maybe~_ ” The magician purred before disappearing up the flight of stairs. Left alone with his thoughts Muriel decided to distract himself with a bit of whittling. 

The hours dragged on and for the first time in years Muriel found himself struggling with his favorite past time. His mind wasn’t quiet, in fact it was flooded with thoughts of you. The pain in your eyes, the thought of you crying, _you_ apologizing to _him_. 

It was all wrong and backwards, it frustrated Muriel to know end. Groaning he slammed his carving knife down onto the kitchen table, unaware of your presence inching into the view. 

“Uh! I’ll come back another time, sorry!” You squeaked, attempting to dash right back from where you came from. However, Muriel’s frantic call stopped you in your tracks. 

“Wait!” He said, seeing you not return to the kitchen Muriel walked over towards the stairs to speak. 

“I don’t hate you.” He admitted, but he could tell you were unconvinced. 

“It’s okay. I understand if you do. You’ve known each other so long but Asra doesn’t see you often enough. He’s either away from Vesuvia for months at a time or at the shop. I wouldn’t like me very much either if I were in your shoes.” You chuckled a bit on the last few bitter words.

Muriel looked sad at your words but you figured it was because he was facing these feelings of disdain head on. 

“Good night Muriel.” You gave him a weary smile before apologizing to him again and heading off to your room for the night. 

“Good night...” Muriel sighed before heading outside to calm his breathing. It broke him inside that you felt like this, he really messed up and he hadn’t had the chance to properly apologize. 

The next few days were emotionally draining for the two of you. You’d avoid eye contact, speaking would be awkward, and any chance you could get to steer clear of Muriel, you took it. To your knowledge, he wanted nothing to do with you and needed space. So, to appease his needs you kept away, fading silently into the background. That is, until Asra wouldn’t let you hide anymore. 

“Hey Y/N, I’m headed off for a bit, don’t keep Muriel lonely!” Asra chirped before sneaking away from you to head downstairs. 

“B-but—okay...” You sighed shakily. Maybe he was okay now, maybe your presence wouldn’t piss him off today. You can’t hide forever, you realized. 

You tip toed down the wooden stairs and found Muriel in the kitchen just as Asra left through the front door. You took a deep breath to calm your nerves before descending the final stairs and standing awkwardly in the corner of the room. 

Muriel said nothing but he waved a large hand towards the small dinging table, breakfast for two was served. Seeing this, your nerves were on fire, you wanted to back out of this, surely Muriel wanted you to do that too, right? 

“O-oh. I can eat outside if you like?” You suggested quietly. Muriel shook his head in response before pulling out your chair for you to sit, confused you stared at the man in question. 

“...Sit.” He said, pulling the chair back an inch more. Obediently you shuffled into the seat and Muriel politely pushed you towards the table before joining you on the opposite end. You both ate in an uncomfortable silence before Muriel grumbled underneath his breath, gaining your attention. 

“What was that?” You asked, perplexed. 

“You’re avoiding me...” He stated plainly glancing up from his meal to look you in the eyes. His large green eyes stole your breath away, but you banished the thoughts when his words became clear to you. _So, we’re going to talk about that?_

“...You said you hated me.” You whispered, taking a small sip of your lemonade to busy your hands and distract you from this tense situation. Muriel was silent, but he looked sad nevertheless, his expression and change in mood didn’t go unnoticed by you. 

“Did you always hate me?” You continued before you could stop yourself, you truly didn’t mean to say that out loud but it was out in the open now, no looking back. Muriel hunched his shoulders, looking as if he wanted to shrink in on himself. You feared you overstepped yet again and the man was going to never answer. 

“I _said_ I don’t hate you... I never hated you.” He admitted sheepishly. The response confused you and took you by surprise. 

“B-but you said--” 

“ **I KNOW**... I mean, I know. But I didn’t mean that!” You flinched as the hermit stumbled over his words, trying and failing horribly to explain his actions. Still, you felt a wave of relief wash over you, the minute tension you carried for days on end melting from your weary muscles. 

Muriel sighed as he searched his mind for the correct words to explain his feelings. He regrets what he said, he hates himself before being so mean, he feels stupid even now. 

You gave Muriel a small, knowing smile. You tentatively placed you hand over his much larger one to stop him from frustrating himself.

“That’s enough. Thank you, Muriel.” His name on your tongue sent shivers down his spine, he didn’t understand why but it was a welcome feeling. 

“I’m so sorry.” He said, a slight tremble to his full lips. His apology was so sincere and it warmed your heart. _Had he been hurting just as much as you these past few days?_

“I’m sorry for avoiding you.” With that, the two of you continued your breakfast in relative, but comfortable silence. A weight lifted off both of your shoulders. 

A step in the right direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is a little bit shorter of a chapter, idk, but I hope you enjoyed nevertheless. Yay for happy endings.


	8. Stolen Glances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As your friendship with Muriel develops, new feelings begin to arise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anytime I say "Asra purred" I can only see this >:3c

The sweet sounds of your laughter floated through the wind as Asra neared the oasis. A cheeky grin slowly spread across Asra’s full  lips; _they must be all better now_. Silently he crept closer to eavesdrop on your conversation with the gentle giant Muriel.

“Asra really did that?” You asked between stifled laughs, Muriel exhaled through his nose as he shook his head in mock disappointment. 

“Yes, I don’t think we’ve ever run so fast, that fake fortune teller was hot on our heels.” Muriel’s broad shoulders jumped as he silently laughed at the memory. 

“Asra’s always been one for mischief, but I think you help him stay grounded.” You said, smiling softly as you continued to aid Muriel with weed picking the garden. Muriel was silent for a moment before he spoke again.

“I think you do too.” He reassured; his eyes focused on the task ahead of him as his timid nature began to control him again. As the comfortable silence drew on, Asra appeared from the brush, a basket full of wild  daisy's in hand.

“I remember owing you a month’s worth of smoked eel after that incident.” He added, shooting Muriel a knowing glance. Seeing his too favorite people share such a tender moment really made Asra’s heart flutter. Nothing could ruin this moment. 

Muriel whipped around at Asra’s voice before stammering out complaints that Asra shouldn’t eavesdrop. You and Asra could only laugh at the scene before you both, Muriel was slowly creeping out of his shell and it was a heart-warming sight.

Muriel stood to his full height and you quickly followed suit, the three of you heading inside as the afternoon sun was high in the sky. Inside, you complained about your aching shoulders and yearned for a steaming bath.

Muriel, being  the secret gentleman he is, offered the bath to you first, but Asra quickly interjected.

“Ah, actually, there’s a lovely bath house in town that I think you’d love, Y/N! You’ve been cooped up here since we arrived, I’m sure you’d love to explore town a bit before the festival in a few days.” Asra smiled as he clasped his hands together. Muriel watched as your eyes lit up and the thought of a spa day in town, your face, looking so happy and pure stole his breath away. He couldn’t take his eyes off of you.

“That sounds perfect!” You chirp, before hopping upstairs for a change of clothes and a bag. In the few minutes Asra was alone with his hermit friend, he shot him a wink, violet eyes sparkling with interest. 

“I’ll be back in time for dinner!” You mused, and with that, you were out the door. Muriel’s mossy green eyes followed your movements and when the door shut, he finally released the breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. Spluttering when he caught Asra’s expression, the magician wiggled his sculpted ivory brows at his friend. 

Clearing his throat Muriel quickly excused himself to get cleaned up while Asra stayed downstairs twisting the flowers between his slender fingers. He wouldn’t be able to admit it, at the very least without stressing his dear friends out, but their tense relationship upset Asra to no end. He spent many nights awake staring at the ceiling wondering how he could mend this relationship. This new progress brought him a lot of peace of mind, tension he stored in his own body ebbing away.

When Muriel descended the stairs once more, lunch waited for him on the table.  Also there, was Asra munching away at his own food. Without hesitation Muriel sat at the small table and thanked his friend for the meal. As the late afternoon sun light filtered in through the windows Asra sighed to himself at the warmth cascading over his cheek.

Muriel couldn’t help but hum in delight at the warmth as well, Asra taking the moment to speak.

“You’re opening up to them~” He purred taking a sip of his cold drink. Muriel blushed lightly, hoping that the sun shining over his features did well to mask his new rosy tint. It didn’t.

“N-no I’m not. I’m just... not being mean.” Muriel pouted, crossing his muscular arms over his wide chest, leaning back comfortably in his chair. 

“ _Right_. Well anyway, I’m proud of you, Muri. It’s nice seeing you talk so comfortably.” Asra stood as he cleared the table of any empty dishes and discarded them in the sink. He turned around and leaned lazily against the kitchen counter as he surveyed Muriel’s reaction to the praise. 

Muriel seemed proud as well, his usual frown massaged from his features. As Asra began to busy himself with washing the dishes, Muriel couldn’t help but ask the one thing he'd been meaning to all this time..

“How do I... get more time like that?” He asked timidly, his brows furrowing slightly at his own vulnerability. Asra chuckled at the vagueness of his question but being as perceptive as he was, he deduced quickly what Muriel was asking.

“More time spent talking and laughing with my apprentice? Just be soft with them, that’s easy enough for you right?” He joked, Muriel scoffing at the comment. Muriel didn’t know how to be soft like you, but he got a glimpse at how easy it could be to talk to you today. He just craved more of that. 

“Help them cook dinner tonight while I nap.” Asra continued without missing a beat. 

“Or if you like, I can stay down here and watch?” He suggested, glancing over his shoulder as Muriel worried his lip at the prospect. To be alone with you, or have Asra there for support. It was natural enough earlier today in the garden but it was also spontaneous. Knowing that he would be alone with you in a few hours caused him a bit of anxiety, and he was afraid he’d mess up and say something stupid.

“Asra... stay. Please.” Muriel’s eyes shifted up to Asra and was grateful that he had his back turned to him, he wouldn’t have to see such a sorry state he was in at the thought of being alone with you and trying to talk all by himself. 

“Of course. Anyway, they should be back any minute. Go rest a bit, recharge.” Asra wiped his hands dry on the kitchen towel before sauntering over to his friend. His slender yet toned arms entrapping Muriel in a friendly embrace, calming his  friend's nerves. 

Clearing his throat, Muriel gave Asra a short, nod. Thanking him for his words and support. Before he continued up the stairs Muriel stopped himself, turning around and reappearing in the dining room.

“Sorry I was so harsh on them. And you.” He said sheepishly but his large eyes were full of remorse and regret. It gave Asra pause, he knew how kind Muriel truly was and he was beating himself for his past actions. Asra knew it was partially his own fault as well, and being as familiar with each other as they were, they both understood each other’s feelings completely.

“No worries, Muriel.” He whispered, leaning against the kitchen counter once more. He watched as Muriel ascended the stairs once more and heard the soft click of his door shutting. 

A moment of silence, and as if right on cue, you were shuffling in through the front door with a bit  for food for dinner.

“Oh, hi Asra!  Whatcha up to?” You asked, your sunshiny personality seeming to brighten up the space. Asra chuckled to himself, a serene smile spreading over his face.

“Nothing, nothing. I missed you.” He said, wrapping you into a short embrace before pecking a kiss to your cheek. He stifled a yawn and you giggled at his sleepy nature. Without missing a beat, you bid Asra a good night as he strode up the stairs for his late afternoon nap. 

You decided a nap was in order for yourself as well. You still had a few hours before dinner was due and it would be quick enough to make to where you could relax for a while. A sudden wave of drowsiness washed over you, and your fluffy bed was calling your name. You dropped onto your bed neglecting to kick off your sandals as you drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

“Dinner time!” Asra shouted, poking his head into your bedroom and laughing at the wild position you slept in. You replied with a lazy laugh of your own as you slowly stretched and sighed at the soft pops of  your joints.

By now, Muriel was walking in front of your doorway and he quickly averted his eyes as he noticed  your loose shirt rising about your waistband with your stretch. The sliver of soft skin he saw in that moment causing his face to heat up feverishly.

You joined the two of them downstairs not long after you were woken up and got to cooking. Asra tapped Muriel’s large foot beneath the table with his own to give him the courage to ask you if you needed any help.

Muriel’s heart fluttered deep within his chest, he fiddled with his fingers as he struggled to speak. 

“D-do you need any help?” Muriel asked, worried his voice was so soft in that moment that you failed to hear him. Your eyes widened a fraction, and your heart skipped a beat, you tried to calm yourself a bit before replying, afraid that if you sounded over  eager you’d scare the poor man away.

“Would you help me please, Muriel?” You said, offering him a shy smile as your eyes darted around focusing everywhere in the room but on Muriel.

Silently, Muriel nodded and rose to his feet, he towered over you and your neck craned to look closely at his expression. He looked just as nervous as you were, making you all the more appreciative for his offer. 

Soon enough the two of you were shuffling awkwardly around the small kitchen preparing tonight’s meal. Small conversation filtered through the air and Asra found himself smiling at the interaction as he shuffled his deck of tarot cards to busy himself. 

The close proximity between you two made you giddy; Muriel was a handsome man without a doubt and it took until now for you to realize just how flustered he could make you. He was a little rough around the edges at first but could you blame him, he was so kind underneath it all and his shy disposition was extremely charming. 

Muriel found himself having fun cooking with you, you were funny, and very skilled with your hands. It was fascinating watching you work up close, talking him through your work as you moved around the kitchen, and around him, as much as you could. 

As the sauce was finished for the main course you gathered a bit on a spoon giving it a blow and offered it to Muriel. Feeling bold, your arm stretched upwards toward his lips offering him a taste. Muriel stiffened at the action, quirking a brow up in question without making a move toward the spoon.

“Taste.” You giggled, stepping just an inch closer to the man. His cheeks dusted pink as he lowered himself toward the spoon but before he could take the sauce into his mouth your hand trembled with anticipation. To still you, Muriel gently held your wrist with his large hand. It was your time to blush now, as Muriel’s lips wrapped around the spoon and he hummed at the flavors. Savory with a kick of spice towards the end, it was perfect. 

He simply nodded his head as he stood back to his full height, averting his eyes and looking towards Asra to see if he caught that.

Muriel’s eyes widened at the stargazed look stricken on Asra’s face, even he was blushing at what just happened. Muriel’s face reddened even deeper at  that; he hadn’t realized how intimate that moment was as his heart pounded against his chest. He wondered if you could hear it. 

Returning his attention to you Muriel’s mouth slightly  fell open as he saw you tasting the sauce yourself with the same spoon he just had between his lips. Muriel quickly retreated to the other side of the counter to put space between the two of you as his mind blanked. He tried to will the fiery blush from his features but it was all in vain. Luckily you never turned to look at him much more while  you prepared everyone’s plates, unbeknownst to Muriel you were fighting away a feverish  blush of your own. 

“ _That was reckless_ ,” you thought to yourself, feeling a bit embarrassed at your actions but Muriel didn’t seem put off by It. For that you were grateful.

The rest of the night continued on without much incident, you and Muriel stealing shy glances at one another. Asra carried the conversation for the evening, as he often did. After all of the dishes were cleaned away by your fluffy haired friend, the three of you retreated to your bedrooms for a night's rest. All three of you replaying the  events of the day in your heads on loop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was longer than intended but Lordy that sauce tasting at the end was fun to write. I feel like this is turning into a Muriel x Apprentice x Asra fic, I don't hate the idea but we'll see what happens.


	9. Blooming Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the Painted Daisy Festival is starting!

The next morning, it seemed the two of you were walking on eggshells around each other.  _ Who knew you could be so bold _ ?

Asra for one loved the chance you took last night; he loved the feel of confidence seeping into your aura. You seemed to be blossoming just as much as Muriel. His two-favorite people flowering like belladonnas in early autumn. Asra sighed dreamily, lost in his thoughts. 

Muriel sitting across from his magical friend rose his brow in question. Asra laughed a bit before explaining. 

“Oh, just daydreaming about last night.” He said with a wink. Muriel cleared his throat harshly, a pink tint warming his cheeks. He took a sip of the morning tea Asra brewed, lapsang souchong of course. As if on cue, there you were descending the stairs quietly wiping the sleep from your eyes. 

You stifled a yawn as you entered the kitchen area to pour yourself a glass of tea and join the others. Asra’s eyes keenly followed you and Muriel blushed as his eyes were trained on Asra’s. 

“G-good morning.” You spoke sheepishly breaking the silence. You could feel eyes trained on your back but you couldn’t tell who’s. 

“Good morning, Y/N.” Asra replied before taking a loud slurp from his cup. You shook your head before chuckling a bit. Being playful so early in the day, as always. 

“The festival is in a few days. I saw them finally decorating the town square when I was out yesterday.” You said taking a seat at the table, closer to Muriel than usual. That action didn’t go unnoticed by Muriel and Asra. Muriel’s lips quirked up just a tad in a timid smile before he  shied away, turning his face from your view.

“ Mhm , Muriel said he can’t wait!” Asra said, smirking playfully at the way Muriel’s eyes bulged at the sound of his name.

“N-no I didn’t!” It’s true, he hadn’t said that. Not out loud at least, now that you and he were on good terms he found he was excited to see the flowers of the Painted Daisy Festival. You giggled at his frantic response before the three of you fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying  your fragrant tea.

♥

The next days passed by in a blur of stolen glances and the sweet sounds of peeling laughter. The morning of the first day of the Painted Daisy Festival started with you waking Asra from his slumber bright and early. 

“Asra? Asra wake up.” You whispered lifting a fluffy white curl form over the shell of his ear. He smiled in his sleep before opening his violet eyes, he groaned in satisfaction from his morning stretch before greeting you. 

“Morning.” He said, his sleepy voice was still soft and airy as always. 

“Morning sleepyhead. Today’s the first day of the festival!” You said happily, pulling the thin sheets from his body and helping him to stand. Asra slumped into you for a lazy hug before petting your head and shuffling off down the stairs. 

You chuckled silently to yourself as you straightened up his bed a bit, it would have looked horrible if you left it up to him. Leaving his room, you noticed Muriel wasn’t awake yet either. 

Timidly you looked down the stairs and listened to see if Asra would be coming back up anytime soon. Usually Muriel was up by now, or Asra would wake him. You sighed, steeling your nerves before you knocked lightly on the door to his bedroom. 

You cursed yourself seeing the door creak open just a bit, you heard Muriel’s light snores from the doorway. To preserve any semblance of privacy you decided to call out to him from the doorway. 

“Muriel? Muriel...?” Minor anxiety was prickling up your spine as you continued to knock. You really hoped you wouldn’t have to walk inside and wake him, afraid to upset him. 

“Go inside!” Asra whisper screamed from down the hallway. You could have jumped out of your skin right then  and there, how long was Asra watching?

“No! I can’t!” You whispered back, sweat beading and eyes darting back to Muriel’s slumped form. 

“Yes, you can! He won’t get mad!” Asra continued to encourage you but you fought him off. No way were you about to risk your newly formed friendship by intruding into his space while he slept. 

“What about his privacy? I can’t ruin that!” You snapped before looking back into his room. However, instead you were met with the sight of Muriel’s broad chest. It was toned and covered with leather belts and straps, the occasional scar peppering his olive skin. 

You gasped before jumping back and out of his way. His face was dusted pink as he pouted in Asra’s direction. Asra returned Muriel’s noncommittal glare with a  mischievous grin before skipping back down the  stairs to remove the whistling teapot from the flame. 

Muriel huffed before looking to you, you looked frozen, a little scared but not necessarily of him. He wanted to reassure you. 

“I wouldn’t be mad...” He commented before walking away down the hall, stopping at the top of the stairs to look over his shoulder at you.

“You wouldn’t be?” You asked, not really believing him you thought he was just trying to  be nice for you.

“No, not for you...” He said, scratching at his chin and awkwardly trundling off down the stairs and leaving you stunned. He really was opening up to you in leaps and bounds. You released the breath you hadn’t known you were holding, hoping to calm you pounding heart. You smiled to yourself before following after him into the kitchen. 

You caught just a bit of the playful argument he and Asra were engaged in.

“You heard all that?” Asra asked between laughs.

“Yes, you two were loud.” Muriel replied with a small smirk, sitting at the table with a fresh cup of tea. You laughed and gave your apologies for the noise, but Muriel shook his head waving off your apologies. 

“’s okay.” He said, smile widening just a fraction more for you. Asra soon joined the table with two more cups of tea and a bowl of fruit. He explained what to expect from the festival and what he was most excited to share with you both.

“Of course, you’ll love the flowers, but the music is the next best thing! And they have so many stalls selling gifts every year too!” He exclaimed, jumping form topic to topic and buzzing with excitement. You and Muriel listened intently with small smiles growing on your face. 

Suddenly Asra went silent, perking up his ears to listen closer to the sounds drifting in from outside. 

“You hear that? The music is starting, let's go!” With that, Asra hopped from his seat and practically leapt through the front door. You laughed before dropping off the three tea cups in the sink and shuffling through the door that Muriel held open for you.

You thanked him before Asra circled behind you both taking your hands and dragging the two of you off towards the bustling festival. 


	10. An Indirect Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day of the Painted Daisy Festival. You, Asra, and Muriel think over the circumstances that brought the three of you together, here today.

The town square was transformed even more than the days prior and you couldn’t believe it. Your eyes seemed to gleam and sparkle at the sight, and Muriel found himself staring at you more than the festive decorations. Unbeknownst to him, it seems Asra’s eyes were locked onto Muriel’s dazed expression. Like he hadn’t seen anyone look so happy before in his life, and maybe he hadn’t. It’s safe to say the three of them would have a wonderful day at the Painted Daisy Festival. 

Flower petals of every color imaginable, colors Muriel didn’t know even existed, rained from the sky above. They littered your head and accented your skin tone so beautifully, you looked completely ethereal. "It suited you", Muriel thought. The petals did well to blend into Asra’s bright clothing, while being completely exposed upon Muriel’s earthly toned furs and leathers. The contrast was lovely. 

A field of daisy’s bordered the entire town of Nopal, it looked like an ocean of rainbow hues. Townsfolk milled about laughing, singing, dancing, and cheering the day away. Lively music floated through the air and you felt as if your heart was beating along to the rhythm. Without a moment more to waste Asra was grabbing your hand and pulling you along. Without much thought, simultaneously both you and Muriel reached for each other's hand to stay together. For Muriel’s sake you tried not to pay much mind to the contact, instead your tore your line of sight away from your linked hands and forward to Asra’s back. 

Muriel blushed furiously; his mossy green eyes were glued to where you both were connected. Your hand was small in his large grip, you held him tight yet still so gently. Your hand was soft and silky against his palm that was hardened by years of hard labor out in the wilderness. It was a nice feeling, your warm hand locked together with his. A few days ago, he’d never imagine allowing himself this privilege, and days before that he’d never think to enjoy it. 

You too were blushing like a madman, butterflies swarming around in your belly. Muriel, the person you so admired in secret was finally opening himself up to you despite everything. You could only dream of moments like these before. When you were once anxious and nervous of overstepping boundaries, you now had the confidence to engage him. Asra was right. This vacation was a great idea to tag in on. 

Asra was like a beacon of hope for the both of you. Always the optimist, supportive, and caring. Without him, both you and Muriel wouldn’t be the people you are today. Muriel wouldn’t be the secretly kind and tender man he was, you wouldn’t have become so confident in yourself and independent. Asra saved you both in more ways than you could hope to count, and unbeknownst to the both of you, he was saved as well.

Asra beamed back at you both, his brilliant smile could blind anybody. He was like a ray of sunshine melting away the unforgiving blizzard of Muriel’s past. Muriel wouldn’t be able to survive if not for Asra. He was a vast ocean you desperately wanted to explore. So much to him that you yet didn’t understand, so much more to love about him. 

To you and Muriel, Asra was family and a first love. Yet both of your hearts seemed to have grown twice in size to fit one more person. Each other. All thanks to Asra. How much you both had missed out on, what you could have missed if not for Asra’s patience and good deed. The happiness the three of you were experiencing would be  unattainable if not for Asra.

“Thank you.” You whispered so quietly that Asra couldn’t hear what you said but he could read it all on your happy expression. 

“You’re welcome,” He mouthed, before continuing to drag the two of you along throughout the festival. Many hours passed with just viewing the sights, until an idea popped up into Asra’s mind. 

“Let’s do a gift exchange!” He suddenly blurted out, startling both you and Muriel. The two of you stared at the fluffy haired magician before you finally spoke.

“Oh, okay, well, you two go that way and look for gifts while I go this way.” You suggested, and without waiting for a response, you turned on your heels and disappeared into the crowd. A faint blush dusted Muriel’s cheeks, a blush matching the soft rosy tint of the daisy petals that littered his broad shoulders. Wordlessly, Asra grinned before snaking his tanned arm around Muriel’s much larger one. 

Asra matched his speed to Muriel, now at a leisurely pace. They two of them wordlessly agreed upon finding your gifts first knowing Muriel would need a bit of extra help. He wasn’t familiar with your tastes in things, you like cooking and plants but that’s about all he gathered. 

What kind of gift from Muriel would scream, “ _ thank you for having patience in me and giving me a chance, Y/N, _ ” he pondered.

“I know that look, you’re struggling with what to gift them?” Asra said, a small chuckle slipping past his lips. Muriel frowned a  bit; he was too easy to read. 

“Maybe after you see what I get you’ll have an idea. Here’s a hint though,” Asra said before standing on the tips of his toes to get closer to the shell of Muriel’s ear and whisper into it. Muriel subconsciously kneeled down closer to Asra and listened intently, blushing at the proximity. 

“Oh okay.” Was all he could say. With what Asra said in mind, Muriel’s anxiety eased. A handmade gift will do much better at getting his feelings and intentions across. He also felt it would be more meaningful that way. 

♥

About an hour passed before you met back up with your two friends. One hand holding a few bags hidden behind your back, and the other was in front of you with snacks.

“Asra they have your skink, and Muriel, I’ve been told you’re quite fond of eel. Here.” You said, smiling sweetly and holding the two kabobs out to them. Asra wasted no time taking away the grilled skink and licking his lips with anticipation. Muriel was a bit  timider but he wouldn’t deny the way his mouth salivated at the smell of freshly smoked eel.

Your grin widened at the way they savored their snacks, Asra dancing around on his feet at the flavor. He offered you a bite but you kindly refused, skinks were a little too cute for you to eat. However, you were eyeing Muriel’s eel a bit, you knew you should have bought your own but your pockets  seemed to be running a bit thin as of late. 

This didn’t go unnoticed by Muriel; you didn’t have anything to eat and it looked as if you went a bit on the pricier side for gifts. He shoved his kabob back into your hand before trotting off towards the stall you previously came from. 

You were  shocked by his actions to say the least but when he returned with two more ell kabobs you and an inkling of his intentions.

“Eat.” Was all he said as he handed you another eel, much gentler this time. You thanked him before blushing at his generosity. You nibbled on the first eel he handed you, the one he had already taken a large bite of. Asra side-eyed Muriel hard, a devilish grin overtook his features and it was at this moment that Muriel realized his mistake. 

His rippling muscles clenched at once, he hadn’t meant for you to eat off of his old eel. He only wanted you to hold it while he went and bought more for the two of you to share. A wave of shyness washed over the hermit; a furious heat rose beneath his cheeks. His eyes watched as your lips made contact to where his once were minutes before. In honesty, he wanted you to have the two eels he brought back but unintentionally had you eating from him. You didn’t turn it away though and that made something buzz inside of him. 

Another indirect kiss shared between you two. His heart couldn’t take it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait my babies, but this was such a fun chapter to write omg!!!! They seem like such an intimate relationship that I wish I could actually get in o, lol room for one more?? <3


End file.
